Here's something I've been telling my clients for years, which makes me sound like a broken record sometimes: đź«Ł
likes and follower counts might feel good…But they don’t pay the bills.
If you’ve ever looked at your social media insights and wondered if any of this is actually working, you’re not alone.
Most business owners are measuring success using the wrong numbers. Likes and followers are surface-level indicators, what I call “feel-good metrics.” They tell you people noticed your post, not that it made an impact.
Let’s dig deeper into what actually matters if you want social media that grows your business, not just your ego. 👇
1. Start With What You Actually Want to Achieve
Before you can measure anything, you need clarity on what success looks like for you.
Are you trying to increase visibility? Drive leads? Get people onto your email list? Sell your offer?
Because each goal requires different metrics.
Here’s how to align your data with your business goals:
✨ Brand awareness: Track reach, impressions, and mentions, not likes. You want to know how many people actually saw you.
✨ Leads: Measure newsletter sign-ups, downloads, or discovery call bookings that come from your social content.
✨ Website traffic: Use UTM links (you can set these up easily in your bio or Stories) to see which posts are driving clicks.
✨ Engagement that matters: Don’t just count likes and comments. Pay attention to saves, shares, and click-throughs. Those actions show genuine interest, not casual scrolling.
2. Don’t Just Count Mentions, Listen to the Conversation
Metrics are one thing, but sentiment tells the real story. đź’ś What are people saying about your brand online?
Social listening tools (or even just reading through your tagged posts and DMs) can reveal what your audience truly thinks. Are people raving about their results? Or are they confused, comparing, or complaining?
This kind of insight is gold, as it helps you improve your messaging, product experience, and customer journey from the inside out.
3. Track Conversions, Even the Invisible Ones
Not every sale starts with “I found you on Instagram.” But that doesn’t mean social media didn’t play a part.
Maybe someone followed you for months, joined your list after seeing a Story, then booked a call from an email. That’s still a social media conversion, just not a direct one.
Use conversion tracking tools (or even a simple CRM note system) to see which campaigns or posts sparked movement in your funnel. Over time, you’ll see exactly where your social content is quietly doing the heavy lifting.
4. Know Where You Stand (and Where You Can Grow)
Firstly, let's be clear on our intentions here. We're not going to copy anyone else! However, it's quite helpful to look at what your industry looks like.
What’s working for others in your space? How often are they posting, and what’s actually resonating with their audience?
Competitor analysis isn’t about copying; it’s about context. It helps you see what’s possible and where your opportunity gaps are.
5. Look at ROI, Because Effort Should Equal Return
If you’re spending time, energy, and money on social media, you deserve to know what you’re getting back.
Add up your total investment, your time, ad spend, and tools, and compare that to the value of leads or revenue social media has generated. You might be surprised at what’s quietly working (or what’s not).
The key is to think like a strategist, not just a content creator.
Because when you know what to measure, you can make smarter decisions, not just prettier posts.
Here’s the bottom line:
Your social media results go far beyond likes. When you measure what actually moves your business forward: attention, trust, and conversion, you’ll start seeing real growth instead of vanity wins.
Your content deserves to work harder for you. đź’•
👉 Want to turn your social media from busywork into a results system?
Book a free 1:1 Strategy Call and let’s map out how to turn your content into consistent leads and sales, without the burnout.
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